Some Midsize SUVs Do Poorly On Front Overlap Crash Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has issued a report that includes new ratings based on recently completed crash test results. Three more midsize SUVs achieved good or acceptable ratings from the Institute in the latest round of small overlap front crash testing. However many models, including three newly rated SUVs from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and one from Hyundai, continue to struggle with the test.

The Nissan Murano earned a good rating and, with a superior-rated optional front crash prevention system, qualified for the Institute’s highest award, Top Safety Pick+. Among the seven 2015 models in this round of testing, the Jeep Wrangler 4-door model also picked up a good small overlap rating. But the Wrangler offers only marginal protection in side and rear crashes, so IIHS has not made it a recommended choice. It also lacks a fixed roof, so it can’t provide good protection in rollover crashes. The Ford Flex earned an acceptable rating and qualifies for Top Safety Pick.

Seven midsize SUVs now qualify for awards from IIHS. The earlier winners were the Toyota Highlander with Top Safety Pick+ and the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder, which all earn Top Safety Pick. Aside from the Wrangler, three other Fiat Chrysler SUVs were tested for small overlap protection and those didn’t fare well. The Dodge Journey earned a poor rating, with the Dodge Durango and Jeep Cherokee getting marginal ratings. The Hyundai Santa Fe also earned a marginal rating.

It might be well to explain how the small overlap test works. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end on the driver’s side strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph. The test is more difficult than either the head-on crashes conducted by the government or the IIHS moderate overlap test. That’s because in a small overlap test, the main structures of the vehicle’s front-end crush zone are bypassed, making it difficult for the vehicle to manage crash energy. The occupant compartment can collapse as a result.

Since IIHS began small overlap testing in 2012, the automobile manufacturers have responded by taking the test into account when models are redesigned. They are modifying front structures and improving airbags even before a model gets a full overhaul. IIHS Chief Research Officer David Zuby had this to say:

This test presented a major challenge for manufacturers when it was introduced three years ago, and many have adapted quickly. Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep have had some successes with redesigned models, but they haven’t done much in the way of interim improvements. As a result, they still have many models that rate poor or marginal.

The best performer in the current group of seven, according to IIHS, is the redesigned 2015 Murano. It hit all the marks for ideal small overlap protection. In addition to earning a good small overlap rating, the Murano improved its roof strength rating to good from the previous generation’s marginal rating. The optional front crash prevention also is new for 2015. The Murano’s autobrake, according to IIHS, nearly avoided a collision in the 12 mph IIHS track test and reduced the vehicle’s speed by 11 mph in the 25 mph test. The Murano also earned a point for meeting federal criteria for forward collision warning systems.

The Journey was the worst performer in the group, and IIHS says it’s a “classic example of poor small overlap protection.” The occupant compartment failed to hold up, with intrusion measuring as much as 9 inches at the instrument panel and the parking brake pedal, which tore through the dummy’s left lower leg. Injuries to the left hip, left knee and right lower leg also would be possible. The dummy’s head barely contacted the front airbag before sliding off the left side, as the steering column moved to the right. The side curtain airbag failed to deploy, leaving the dummy’s head vulnerable to contact with side structure and outside objects. The Journey was introduced in 2009, and its poor rating applies to the previous models.